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Scottish poor laws

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The Scottish poor laws were the statutes concerning poor relief passed in Scotland between 1579 and 1929. Scotland had a different poor law system to England and the workings of the Scottish laws differed greatly to the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 which applied in England and Wales .

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121-529: In 1579, the Scottish Parliament passed an act which made individual parishes responsible for enumerating their own poor. More than merely enumerate, the purpose of the law was an "inquisition" into the circumstances of the individual poverty, so as to determine whether the poor were able to work, whether they had any other means of subsistence, and whether there were other persons, family or others, who might assist them. The laws at that time codified

242-650: A general election would be held on 4 July 2024. Labour entered the general election with a large lead over the Conservatives in opinion polls , and the potential scale of the party's victory remained a topic of discussion throughout the campaign. In June 2024 Starmer released the Labour Party’s 2024 manifesto, Change , which focused on economic growth, planning system reforms, infrastructure, what Starmer describes as "clean energy", healthcare, education, childcare, and strengthening workers' rights. It pledged

363-481: A vote of no confidence in the government , stating that Johnson should not be allowed to remain in office. Starmer also criticised Johnson, as well as his successors Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak , for issues such as the Chris Pincher scandal and the subsequent government crisis , the economic crisis resulting from the 2022 mini-budget and subsequent government crisis , the cost of living crisis , and

484-651: A 'devolved' Parliament were made before 1914, but were shelved due to the outbreak of the First World War . A sharp rise in nationalism in Scotland during the late 1960s fuelled demands for some form of home rule or complete independence , and in 1969 prompted the incumbent Labour government of Harold Wilson to set up the Kilbrandon Commission to consider the British constitution . One of

605-420: A Conservative peer for offences relating to false accounting in the aftermath of the parliamentary expenses scandal , who were all found guilty. Starmer prioritised rapid prosecutions of rioters over long sentences during the 2011 England riots , which he later concluded helped to bring "the situation back under control". In February 2012 Starmer announced that Chris Huhne would be prosecuted for perverting

726-634: A Conservative peer, and the future conservative journalist Andrew Sullivan . According to Starmer, he and Sullivan "fought over everything... Politics, religion.. You name it." In his teenage years Starmer was active in Labour Party politics joining the Labour Party Young Socialists at the age of 16. He won a junior exhibition from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he played

847-517: A friend as well as a colleague. And to all of our members, supporters and affiliates I say this: whether you voted for me or not I will represent you, I will listen to you and I will bring our party together. Having become Leader of the Opposition during the COVID-19 pandemic , Starmer said in his acceptance speech that he would refrain from "scoring party political points" and would work with

968-912: A human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board , taking silk as a Queen's Counsel in 2002. During his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service he dealt with a number of major cases, including the Stephen Lawrence murder case . In the 2014 New Year Honours , he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for "services to law and criminal justice". Starmer's policing work in Northern Ireland influenced him to pursue

1089-585: A large number of members wish to participate in the debate. Debate is more informal than in some parliamentary systems. Members may call each other directly by name, rather than by constituency or cabinet position, and hand clapping is allowed. Speeches to the chamber are normally delivered in English, but members may use Scots , Gaelic , or any other language with the agreement of the Presiding Officer. The Scottish Parliament has conducted debates in

1210-473: A legal officer for the campaign group Liberty until 1990. Starmer was a member of Doughty Street Chambers from 1990 onwards, primarily working on human rights matters. Starmer has been called to the Bar in several Caribbean countries , where he defended convicts sentenced with the death penalty. In 1999 he was a junior barrister on Lee Clegg 's appeal . Starmer assisted Helen Steel and David Morris in

1331-424: A majority of 120 to block the measure. Starmer's Labour Government inherited a number of ongoing industrial disputes from the preceding Conservative Government and agreed pay deals with trade unions representing NHS and railway workers, ending strikes in the first few months of taking office. In August 2024, Starmer's government agreed to increase public-sector worker pay by 5 to 7 per cent. On 10 October

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1452-590: A member of the university's Labour Club before graduating with first-class honours as a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1985. He then went up to St Edmund Hall to pursue postgraduate studies in Jurisprudence taking a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree from the University of Oxford in 1986. Starmer became a barrister in 1987 at the Middle Temple , then a bencher in 2009. He served as

1573-580: A new publicly-owned energy company ( Great British Energy ), a "Green Prosperity Plan", reducing patient waiting times in the NHS, and renationalisation of the railway network ( Great British Railways ). Promising wealth creation together with "pro-business and pro-worker" policies, the manifesto also pledged giving 16-year-olds the vote, reforming the House of Lords , and to tax private schools , with money generated going into improving state education. On taxes,

1694-536: A panel to review complaints. Starmer stepped down as Director of Public Prosecutions in November 2013, and was succeeded by Alison Saunders . Awarded several honorary degrees between 2011 to 2014, Starmer was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours for "services to law and criminal justice". My predecessor, the Right Hon. Frank Dobson, to whom I pay tribute,

1815-549: A political career, and he was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election . He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum and advocated a proposed second referendum on Brexit . He served in Jeremy Corbyn 's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Brexit Secretary , and following Corbyn's resignation after Labour's defeat at the 2019 general election , Starmer succeeded him by winning

1936-622: A result, the outcome of each division is known in seconds. The outcome of most votes can be predicted since political parties normally instruct members which way to vote. Parties entrust some MSPs, known as whips , with the task of ensuring that party members vote according to the party line. MSPs do not tend to vote against such instructions, since those who do are unlikely to reach higher political ranks in their parties. Errant members can be deselected as official party candidates during future elections, and, in serious cases, may be expelled from their parties outright. Thus, as with many Parliaments,

2057-411: Is a debate on a motion proposed by an MSP who is not a Scottish minister . Such motions are on issues which may be of interest to a particular area such as a member's own constituency, an upcoming or past event or any other item which would otherwise not be accorded official parliamentary time. As well as the proposer, other members normally contribute to the debate. The relevant minister, whose department

2178-496: Is no revising chamber. The principal role of committees in the Scottish Parliament is to take evidence from witnesses, conduct inquiries and scrutinise legislation. Committee meetings take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning when Parliament is sitting. Committees can also meet at other locations throughout Scotland. Committees comprise a small number of MSPs, who look at specific subjects such as health,

2299-412: Is normally set up to scrutinise private bills submitted to the Scottish Parliament by an outside party or promoter who is not a member of the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government. Private bills normally relate to large-scale development projects such as infrastructure projects that require the use of land or property. Private Bill Committees have been set up to consider legislation on issues such as

2420-518: Is the unicameral legislature of Scotland . Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city , Edinburgh , it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood . The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected for five-year terms under the regionalised form of Additional-member system (MMP): 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by

2541-417: Is the change in the Labour Party we need". During Starmer's tenure as Opposition Leader, his party suffered the loss of a previously safe Labour seat at the 2021 Hartlepool by-election , followed by holds at the 2021 Batley and Spen by-election , 2022 Birmingham Erdington by-election and 2022 City of Chester by-election , as well as a gain from the Conservatives at the 2022 Wakefield by-election . During

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2662-676: The 2019 general election with a reduced majority of 27,763 (64.9 per cent), and at the 2024 general election with a further reduced majority of 18,884 (48.9 per cent). During the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Starmer supported the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union (EU). A member of both parliamentary groups Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine and

2783-418: The 2020 leadership election . As Leader of the Opposition he moved Labour towards the political centre and emphasised the elimination of antisemitism within the party , and his party made significant gains in the 2023 and 2024 local elections . Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election , ending fourteen years of Conservative Party governance and with the smallest share of

2904-537: The 2023 local elections , Labour gained more than 500 councillors and 22 councils, becoming the largest party in local government for the first time since 2002 . Labour made further gains at the 2024 local elections , gaining from the Conservatives at the Blackpool South by-election and narrowly winning the West Midlands mayoral election . On 22 May 2024 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that

3025-428: The 2024 Southport stabbing , in which three young girls were killed, Starmer described the incident as horrendous and shocking and thanked emergency services for their swift response. He visited Southport and laid flowers at the scene, where he was heckled by some members of the public. Starmer later wrote amidst the ongoing riots across England and Northern Ireland following the stabbing that those who had "hijacked

3146-483: The House of Commons . Speakers are drawn from across Scotland and are chosen to represent the balance of religious beliefs according to the Scottish census . Invitations to address Parliament in this manner are determined by the Presiding Officer on the advice of the parliamentary bureau. Faith groups can make direct representations to the Presiding Officer to nominate speakers. Before September 2012, Time for reflection

3267-470: The House of Lords , and to undertake a programme to speed up the delivery of "high quality infrastructure" and housing. In addition, a number of bills proposed by the previous Conservative government were also included, notably the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which featured in the 2023 King's Speech, but had been abandoned when the election was called . Skills England , a body whose objective will be to reduce

3388-662: The Iraq War following the 2003 invasion of Iraq , stating in 2015 that he believed that the war was " not lawful under international law because there was no UN resolution expressly authorising it". Starmer served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers , and was also a member of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 's Death Penalty Advisory Panel from 2002 to 2008. The Northern Ireland Board

3509-575: The McLibel case , at the trial and appeal in English courts, also representing them before the European Court of Human Rights . Starmer was appointed Queen's Counsel on 9 April 2002, aged 39. In the same year, he became joint head of Doughty Street Chambers. In 2005 Starmer said "I got made a Queen's Counsel, which is odd since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy ". Starmer authored legal opinions and marched in protest against

3630-472: The Official Report , which is the substantially verbatim transcript of parliamentary debates. Since September 2012, the first item of business on Tuesday afternoons is usually Time for Reflection at which a speaker addresses members for up to four minutes, sharing a perspective on issues of faith . This contrasts with the formal style of "Prayers", which is the first item of business in meetings of

3751-721: The Parliament of Scotland . Initial Scottish proposals in the negotiation over the Union suggested a devolved Parliament be retained in Scotland, but this was not accepted by the English negotiators. For the next 290 years, Scotland was governed by the Parliament of Great Britain and the subsequent Parliament of the United Kingdom , both seated at Westminster, and the lack of a Parliament of Scotland remained an important element in Scottish national identity . Suggestions for

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3872-577: The Rwanda asylum plan and a National Violent Disorder Programme in response to the 2024 riots , as well as reforms to workers' rights . In foreign policy Starmer has supported Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel in the Israel-Hamas war . Keir Rodney Starmer was born on 2 September 1962, at Southwark in south east London, and grew up in the town of Oxted , Surrey. He was

3993-689: The Scottish National Party (SNP) resulted in rising support for Scottish independence, as well as the SNP. The party argued that the revenues from the oil were not benefitting Scotland as much as they should. The combined effect of these events led to Prime Minister Wilson committing his government to some form of devolved legislature in 1974. Under the terms of the Scotland Act 1978 , an elected assembly would be set up in Edinburgh if

4114-701: The Solicitor General for Scotland , who are not elected members of the Parliament but are members of the Scottish Government. As such, the Law Officers may attend and speak in the plenary meetings of the Parliament but, as they are not elected MSPs, cannot vote. Members are able to sit anywhere in the debating chamber, but typically sit in their party groupings. The First Minister, Scottish cabinet ministers and law officers sit in

4235-623: The industrial disputes and strikes including National Health Service strikes . As Labour Leader Starmer focused on repositioning the Party away from the Left and the controversies that affected Corbyn's leadership, with promises of economic stability, tackling small-boat crossings , cutting NHS waiting times and "rebuilding the NHS", worker rights enrichment, energy independence and infrastructure development, tackling crime, improving education and training, reforming public services, renationalising

4356-424: The plurality (first-past-the-post) system, while a further 56 are returned as list members from eight additional member regions. Each region elects seven party-list MSPs. Each region elects 15 to 17 MSPs in total. The most recent general election to the Parliament was held on 6 May 2021, with the Scottish National Party winning a plurality. The original Parliament of Scotland was the national legislature of

4477-505: The standing orders that govern the proceedings of meetings. A vote clerk sits in front of the Presiding Officer and operates the electronic voting equipment and chamber clocks. As a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body , the Presiding Officer is responsible for ensuring that the Parliament functions effectively and has the staff, property and resources it requires to operate. Convening

4598-696: The 1980s and 1990s, demand for a Scottish Parliament grew, in part because the government of the United Kingdom was controlled by the Conservative Party , while Scotland itself elected relatively few Conservative MPs. In the aftermath of the 1979 referendum defeat, the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was initiated as a pressure group , leading to the 1989 Scottish Constitutional Convention with various organisations such as Scottish churches , political parties and representatives of industry taking part. Publishing its blueprint for devolution in 1995,

4719-414: The 2021 local elections, the first local elections of his leadership, but later felt "vindicated" by his decision to stay on, saying "I did [consider quitting] because I didn't feel that I should be bigger than the party and that if I couldn't bring about the change, perhaps there should be a change. But actually, in the end, I reflected on it, talked to very many people and doubled down and determined, no, it

4840-594: The Convention provided much of the basis for the structure of the Parliament. Devolution continued to form part of the platform of the Labour Party which won power under Tony Blair in May 1997. In September 1997, the Scottish devolution referendum was put to the Scottish electorate and secured a majority in favour of the reestablishment of the Scottish Parliament, with tax-varying powers, in Edinburgh. An election

4961-590: The European Union . In this role, Starmer questioned Theresa May and HM Government 's destination for the UK outside of the EU, as well as calling for Brexit plans to be made public and supporting a proposed Second Referendum on Brexit . Following defeat at the 2019 general election , Corbyn announced that he would not lead Labour at the next general election after "a process of reflection". Starmer began to distance himself from Corbyn's leadership and many of

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5082-545: The Gaelic language. Each sitting day, normally at 5 pm, MSPs decide on all the motions and amendments that have been moved that day. This "Decision Time" is heralded by the sounding of the division bell, which is heard throughout the Parliamentary campus and alerts MSPs who are not in the chamber to return and vote. At Decision Time, the Presiding Officer puts questions on the motions and amendments by reading out

5203-531: The Government "in the national interest". He later became more critical of HM Government's response to the pandemic following the partygate scandal. In May 2022, Starmer said he would resign were he to receive a fixed penalty notice for breaching COVID-19 regulations while campaigning during the run-up to the Hartlepool by-election and local elections the previous year. The controversy surrounding

5324-534: The Government implemented the most significant enhancement of employment regulations in a generation. This included an increase in minimum wages and a wide array of rights, such as immediate protection against unfair dismissal and the entitlement for employees to request flexible working arrangements, unless the employer can demonstrate that such arrangements are impractical. Billions worth of investments in emerging growth sectors including AI and life sciences, and infrastructure were unveiled by businesses and ministers at

5445-571: The House of Commons. Labour achieved a 174-seat simple majority and a total of 411 seats, the party's third-best result in terms of seat-share following the 1997 and 2001 general elections. The party became the largest in England for the first time since 2005 , in Scotland for the first time since 2010 and retained its status as the largest party in Wales . Despite this, Labour won 34 per cent of

5566-690: The Labour Party no longer being monitored by the EHRC. Starmer's Shadow Cabinet initially comprised both the right and left of the Labour Party. Starmer reshuffled his Shadow Cabinet three times – firstly in May 2021 , secondly in November 2021 , and finally in September 2023 . Starmer's reshuffles reduced the representation of the left and soft left on the Opposition frontbench , while increasing

5687-505: The Middle East , Starmer was urged by a number of activists to stand in the 2015 Labour Party leadership election following the resignation of Ed Miliband as Leader of the Labour Party after Labour's defeat at the 2015 general election ; he ruled this out, citing his relative lack of political experience at the time. During the leadership election Starmer supported Andy Burnham , who finished second to Jeremy Corbyn . Starmer

5808-606: The Parliamentary Bureau, which allocates time and sets the work agenda in the chamber, is another of the roles of the Presiding Officer. Under the Standing Orders of the Parliament the Bureau consists of the Presiding Officer and one representative from each political party with five or more seats in the Parliament. Amongst the duties of the Bureau are to agree the timetable of business in the chamber, establish

5929-521: The Scottish pauper had a legal right to appeal if they were denied poor relief. Outdoor relief was common; however, mismanagement of the system meant that a more restricted system after 1868 which relied more on the poorhouse . The Archives and Special Collections at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow hold more than 1,000,000 applications for poor relief made by residents of Glasgow and

6050-430: The Scottish Parliament, at the beginning of each parliamentary session, Parliament elects one MSP to serve as Presiding Officer , the equivalent of the speaker in other legislatures, and two MSPs to serve as deputies. The Presiding Officer (currently Alison Johnstone ) and deputies (currently Annabelle Ewing and Liam McArthur ) are elected by a secret ballot of the 129 MSPs, which is the only secret ballot conducted in

6171-401: The Scottish Parliament. Principally, the role of the Presiding Officer is to chair chamber proceedings and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body . When chairing meetings of the Parliament, the Presiding Officer and his/her deputies must be politically impartial. During debates, the Presiding Officer (or the deputy) is assisted by the parliamentary clerks, who give advice on how to interpret

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6292-432: The areas in which it can make laws – by explicitly specifying powers that are " reserved " to the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate in all areas that are not explicitly reserved to Westminster. The UK Parliament retains the ability to amend the terms of reference of the Scottish Parliament, and can extend or reduce the areas in which it can make laws. The first meeting of

6413-479: The balance of parties across Parliament. Typically each committee corresponds with one (or more) of the departments (or ministries) of the Scottish Government. The current Subject Committees in the fourth Session are: Economy, Energy and Tourism; Education and Culture ; Health and Sport ; Justice ; Local Government and Regeneration ; Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment; Welfare Reform; and Infrastructure and Capital Investment . A further type of committee

6534-548: The beard a miss. Starmer was selected in December 2014 as the Labour parliamentary candidate for the constituency of Holborn and St Pancras , a Labour safe seat , following the decision of its sitting MP, Frank Dobson , to retire. Starmer was elected at the 2015 general election with a majority of 17,048 (52.9 per cent). He was re-elected at the 2017 general election with an increased majority of 30,509 (70.1 per cent), at

6655-533: The cap would immediately raise 300,000 children out of poverty. MPs rejected the SNP amendment by 363 votes to 103. The seven Labour MPs suspended for six months were John McDonnell , Richard Burgon , Ian Byrne , Apsana Begum , Imran Hussain , Zarah Sultana , and Rebecca Long-Bailey, all of whom now sit as independents . Starmer launched a Child Poverty Taskforce, in which expert officials from across government would work together on how best to support more than four-million children living in poverty. Following

6776-474: The challenges of an insecure world. Committed to a calm and patient rebuilding. So with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent and we begin it today. Other world leaders, including Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau , as well as Blair and Brown, congratulated Starmer upon his appointment as prime minister. One of his first acts

6897-402: The course of justice , stating in relation to the case that "[w]here there is sufficient evidence we do not shy away from prosecuting politicians". In 2012 the journalist Nick Cohen published allegations that Starmer was personally responsible for allowing the prosecution of Paul Chambers to proceed, in what became known as the " Twitter joke trial ". The CPS denied that Starmer was behind

7018-659: The courtyard adjoining the Assembly Hall, which is part of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh . This building was vacated twice to allow for the meeting of the Church's General Assembly . In May 2000, the Parliament was temporarily relocated to the former Strathclyde Regional Council debating chamber at Strathclyde House in Glasgow, and to the University of Aberdeen in May 2002. Since September 2004,

7139-407: The day after the manifesto was released, Starmer pledged that not only would income tax, National Insurance , and VAT not be increased, but that, per their manifesto, their plans were fully costed and funded and would not require tax increases. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative government with Labour becoming the largest party in

7260-460: The day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back. We said we would end the chaos and we will. We said we would turn the page and we have. Today we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country. As the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons, Starmer was appointed prime minister by King Charles III on 5 July 2024, becoming

7381-411: The debate and motion relate to "winds up" the debate by speaking after all other participants. Much of the work of the Scottish Parliament is done in committee . The role of committees is stronger in the Scottish Parliament than in other parliamentary systems, partly as a means of strengthening the role of backbenchers in their scrutiny of the government and partly to compensate for the fact that there

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7502-534: The debating chamber usually take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2 pm to 6 pm and on Thursdays from 9:15 am to 6 pm. Chamber debates and committee meetings are open to the public. Entry is free, but booking in advance is recommended due to limited space. Parliament TV is a webcast and archive of Parliamentary business back to 2012. and on the BBC 's parliamentary channel BBC Parliament . Proceedings are also recorded in text form, in print and online, in

7623-461: The decision, saying that it was the responsibility of a Crown Court and was out of Starmer's hands. When Jimmy Savile 's sexual abuse crimes were exposed in 2012, Starmer said amid the subsequent scandal that "It was like a dam had bust and people rightfully wanted to know why he had been allowed to get away with it for so long." In 2013 Starmer announced changes to how sexual abuse investigations were to be handled amid Operation Yewtree , including

7744-704: The development of the Edinburgh Tram Network , the Glasgow Airport Rail Link , the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link and extensions to the National Gallery of Scotland . The Scotland Act 1998 , which was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and given royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II on 19 November 1998, governs the functions and role of the Scottish Parliament and delimits its legislative competence. Since

7865-457: The economy or justice. They play a central role in the work of the Scottish parliament because, unlike the UK Parliament, the Scottish parliament is a single-chamber parliament. The committees can thus, consider and amend proposals for new laws, they can also propose new laws themselves. The committees can investigate any area that is within their remit and publish recommendations, and can also report on petitions that have been submitted by members of

7986-437: The electoral vote of any majority government since record-keeping of the popular vote began in 1830 . Under Starmer's premiership , the government have ended certain winter fuel payments for around 10 million Britons, implemented an early-release scheme for thousands of prisoners to decrease prison overcrowding, and settled a number of public-sector strikes . Starmer has announced the Border Security Command in replacement of

8107-451: The establishment of the Council of the Nations and Regions . On 24 July 2024 Starmer attended his first Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament. Starmer set about appointing a new Cabinet , which first met on 6 July, and he completed his ministerial appointments on 7 July. Parliament was then recalled to meet on 9 July. Among Starmer's ministerial appointments were the scientist Patrick Vallance as Minister of State for Science ,

8228-636: The establishment of the Parliament, there have been a number of changes to its legislative competence. Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer ( / ˈ k ɪər / KEER ; born 2 September 1962) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, having previously been Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. Born in London and raised in Surrey , Starmer attended

8349-444: The event was dubbed " beergate ". In July 2022 Durham Police cleared Starmer and said that he had "no case to answer". In August 2022 the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards , Kathryn Stone , found that Starmer had breached the MPs' code of conduct eight times by failing to register interests on eight occasions. Amidst the historic number of ministers resigning from Boris Johnson 's government in July 2022, Starmer proposed

8470-433: The exercise of devolved competences. Its effect is to undermine the freedom of action, regulatory competence and authority of the Parliament, limiting its ability to make different economic or social choices to those made by Westminster . Before the Treaty of Union 1707 united the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England into a new state called " Great Britain ", Scotland had an independent parliament known as

8591-531: The first British Asian prime minister of our country should not be underestimated by anyone" and he also recognised "the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership", but added that the people of the UK had voted for change: You have given us a clear mandate, and we will use it to deliver change. To restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives, and unite our country. Four nations, standing together again, facing down, as we have so often in our past,

8712-526: The first Labour prime minister since Gordon Brown in 2010 and the first one to win a general election since Tony Blair in 2005 . He and his wife, Victoria, were driven from Buckingham Palace to Downing Street . Starmer stopped the car on the way back from the palace to go on a walkabout in Downing Street to meet cheering crowds. In his first speech as prime minister, Starmer paid tribute to his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, saying "his achievement as

8833-472: The flute, piano, recorder and violin until the age of 18. In the early 1980s Starmer was caught by police illegally selling ice creams while trying to raise money during a holiday on the French Riviera . He escaped the incident without punishment, beyond the ice creams being confiscated. The first member of his family to go to university, Starmer read Law at the University of Leeds where he became

8954-521: The front row, in the middle section of the chamber. The largest party in the Parliament sits in the middle of the semicircle, with opposing parties on either side. The Presiding Officer, parliamentary clerks and officials sit opposite members at the front of the debating chamber. In front of the Presiding Officers' desk is the parliamentary mace , which is made from silver and inlaid with gold panned from Scottish rivers and inscribed with

9075-478: The full force of the law" and that "You will regret taking part in this, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves". He added "I won't shy away from calling it what it is – far-right thuggery". Starmer later called an emergency response meeting of COBRA . After the COBRA meeting, Starmer ordered a "standing army" to be set up to tackle the ongoing "far-right" riots. This

9196-424: The independence of Members of the Scottish Parliament tends to be low, and backbench rebellions by members who are discontent with their party's policies are rare. In some circumstances, however, parties announce "free votes", which allows Members to vote as they please. This is typically done on moral issues. Immediately after Decision Time a "Members Debate" is held, which lasts for 45 minutes. Members Business

9317-574: The independent Kingdom of Scotland and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . As a consequence, the Parliament of Scotland ceased to exist, while the Parliament of England , which sat at Westminster , was subsumed into the Parliament of Great Britain . In practice, all of

9438-463: The last government. Over 1,700 prisoners were released in September, with further releases expected in the following year. It then emerged that one prisoner released early under the scheme was charged with sexual assault relating to an alleged offence against a woman on the same day he was freed. Starmer has defended the releasing of prisoners, and accused the previous government of having "broke[n]

9559-503: The mace is displayed in a glass case, suspended from the lid. At the beginning of each sitting in the chamber, the lid of the case is rotated so that the mace is above the glass, to symbolise that a full meeting of the Parliament is taking place. Parliament typically sits Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from early January to late June and from early September to mid December, with two-week recesses in April and October. Plenary meetings in

9680-427: The name of the motion or amendment as well as the proposer and asking " Are we all agreed? ", to which the chamber first votes orally. If there is audible dissent, the Presiding Officer announces " There will be a division " and members vote by means of electronic consoles on their desks. Each MSP has a unique access card with a microchip which, when inserted into the console, identifies them and allows them to vote. As

9801-629: The need for overseas employees by improving skills training for people in England, was launched on 22 July. One of Starmer's first acts was the cancellation of the controversial Rwanda asylum plan , describing it as "dead and buried". Cooper established the Border Security Command to tackle smuggling gangs which facilitate illegal migrant crossings over the English Channel . Shortly after taking office, Starmer said that there were "too many prisoners", and described

9922-506: The need to assist the poor—but at the same time as outlawing what were apparently considered public nuisances: begging and vagrancy. In 1595, Buttock Mail , a Scottish poor rate began to be levied. There was further legislation in 1597 which made the parishes rather than the church responsible for the administration of poor relief. In 1672, magistrates were ordered to build correction houses or workhouses so that beggars could be made to work. In most of Scotland no Poor Rate (local property tax for

10043-493: The number, remit and membership of parliamentary committees and regulate the passage of legislation (bills) through the Parliament. The Presiding Officer also represents the Scottish Parliament at home and abroad in an official capacity. The Presiding Officer controls debates by calling on members to speak. The Presiding Officer rules on points of order raised by members, which are not subject to debate or appeal. The Presiding Officer may also discipline members who fail to observe

10164-537: The official home of the Scottish Parliament has been a new Scottish Parliament Building , in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh. The Scottish Parliament building was designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles in partnership with local Edinburgh Architecture firm RMJM which was led by Design Principal Tony Kettle . Some of the principal features of the complex include leaf-shaped buildings, a grass-roofed branch merging into adjacent parkland and gabion walls formed from

10285-429: The party. This is what it is for – a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people. And across our country people will be waking up to the news, relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation. And now we can look forward. Walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through

10406-459: The planning system, infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, childcare, and strengthening workers' rights, as set out in Labour's 2024 election manifesto. The 2024 State Opening of Parliament outlined 39 bills that Labour proposed to introduce in the months ahead, including ones to renationalise the railways , to bring local bus services under local public control, to strengthen the rights of workers, to tackle illegal immigration , to reform

10527-482: The policies put forward at the general election, later revealing in 2024 that he was "certain that we would lose the 2019 election". On 4 January 2020 Starmer announced his candidacy for the resultant leadership election . He gained support from the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown and London Mayor Sadiq Khan . During the Labour leadership campaign, Starmer ran a left-wing platform and positioned himself in opposition to austerity , stating that Corbyn

10648-399: The previous government as having acted "almost beyond recklessness". In order to manage the prison overcrowding, the newly-appointed Justice Secretary , Shabana Mahmood , announced the implementation of an early release scheme which allowed for prisoners in England and Wales to be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentences rather than the 50 per cent previously introduced under

10769-441: The previous government of leaving a £21.9bn "black hole", and announced on 29 July that certain winter fuel payments would be scrapped for around 10 million pensioners. Following criticism of the plan , Starmer has defended the scrapping of these winter fuel payments, arguing that he had to make "tough decisions to stabilise the economy". On 10 September the Government benches defeated a Conservative Party motion in Parliament by

10890-504: The principal objectives of the commission was to examine ways of enabling more self-government for Scotland, within the unitary state of the United Kingdom. Kilbrandon published his report in 1973 recommending the establishment of a directly elected Scottish Assembly to legislate for the majority of domestic Scottish affairs. During this time, the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the following " It's Scotland's oil " campaign of

11011-463: The prison system." Starmer has declined to abolish the two-child benefit cap introduced by the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013, citing financial reasons. On 23 July 2024 Labour withdrew the whip from seven of its MPs who had supported an amendment tabled by the Scottish National Party 's Westminster parliamentary leader Stephen Flynn to scrap it, with Flynn saying that scrapping

11132-507: The public approved it in a referendum be held on 1 March 1979 . A narrow majority of 51.6% to 48.4% voted in favour of a Scottish Assembly, but the Act also required that at least 40% of the total electorate vote in favour of the proposal. As the turnout was only 63.6%, the vote in favour represented only 32.9% of the eligible voting population, and the Assembly was not established. Throughout

11253-427: The public or groups. The current Mandatory Committees in the fourth Session of the Scottish Parliament are: Public Audit ; Equal Opportunities; European and External Relations; Finance; Public Petitions; Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments; and Delegated Powers and Law Reform. Subject Committees are established at the beginning of each parliamentary session, and again the members on each committee reflect

11374-467: The railway network, and recruiting 6,500 teachers. Starmer also pledged to end antisemitism within the Labour Party . In October 2020, following the release of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'s report into antisemitism in the Labour Party , Starmer accepted its findings in full and apologised to Jews on the Party's behalf. In February 2023 Starmer's antisemitism reforms resulted in

11495-522: The reconvened Parliament took place on 12 May 1999. The legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament has been amended numerous times since then. The Scotland Act 2012 and Scotland Act 2016 expanded the Parliament's powers, especially over taxation and welfare. The purpose of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 , the most recent amendment, is to constrain the powers of the devolved institutions and restrict

11616-722: The rehabilitation campaigner James Timpson as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation , and the international law expert Richard Hermer as Attorney General for England and Wales , who were created life peers to sit in the House of Lords . The new government also contains a few ministers from the New Labour Blair/Brown governments, including Hilary Benn , Yvette Cooper, David Lammy, and Ed Miliband in Cabinet, and Jacqui Smith and Douglas Alexander as junior ministers. Domestically, Starmer said that his primary concerns would be economic growth, reforming

11737-480: The relief of the poor) was levied under the old system. In 1843, a commission of inquiry was set up to suggest improvements to the Scottish poor law system. Proposals suggested included: After the Act of Union, Scotland retained its distinct legal system and the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 was not applied to Scotland. As in England, it was necessary to reform the poor laws. A commission of inquiry

11858-482: The representation of the Party's right. Notable changes included Rachel Reeves replacing Anneliese Dodds as Shadow Chancellor , the demotion of Lisa Nandy from Shadow Levelling-Up Secretary to Shadow Minister for International Development , and the replacement of Chief Whip Nick Brown with Alan Campbell . Resignations from Starmer's Shadow Cabinet included Andy McDonald and Rosena Allin-Khan . Starmer considered resigning after Labour's mixed results in

11979-498: The rules of the Parliament. The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament has seating arranged in a hemicycle , a design which is common across European legislatures, intended to encourage consensus and compromise. There are 131 seats in the debating chamber. Of the total 131 seats, 129 are occupied by the Parliament's elected MSPs and two are seats for the Scottish Law Officers—the Lord Advocate and

12100-465: The school, now a charity, awarded him a bursary that allowed him to complete his education there without any parental contribution. The subjects he chose to study in the sixth form during his last two years at school were mathematics, music and physics, in which he achieved A level grades of B, B and C. Among his classmates at Reigate were the musician Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), with whom Starmer took violin lessons; Andrew Cooper , who later became

12221-560: The second of the four children of Josephine ( née  Baker ), a nurse, and Rodney Starmer, a toolmaker . His mother contracted Still's disease . His mother attended St. John's Anglican Church in Hurst Green whilst his father was an atheist. He was nominally "brought up Church of England ." His parents were both Labour Party supporters, and reputedly named him after the party's first parliamentary leader, Keir Hardie , although Starmer neither confirmed nor denied whether this

12342-455: The selective state Reigate Grammar School . He was active politically as a teenager, and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and received a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree from the University of Oxford where he was a student at St Edmund Hall in 1986. After being called to the Bar , Starmer practised predominantly in criminal defence work, specialising in human rights . He served as

12463-477: The stones of previous buildings. Throughout the building there are many repeated motifs, such as shapes based on Raeburn's Skating Minister . Crow-stepped gables and the upturned boat skylights of the Garden Lobby, complete the unique architecture. Queen Elizabeth II opened the new building on 9 October 2004. In 2024, the Scottish Parliament celebrated its 25th anniversary. After each election to

12584-456: The traditions, procedures, and standing orders of the English parliament were retained, with the addition of Scottish members in both the Commons and Lords . Following a referendum in 1997 , in which the Scottish electorate voted for devolution, the powers of the devolved legislature were specified by the Scotland Act 1998 . The Act delineates the legislative competence of the Parliament –

12705-702: The trust of people". Starmer represented Croatia at the genocide hearings before the International Court of Justice at The Hague in 2014, arguing that Serbia wanted to seize a third of Croatian territory during the 1990s war and eradicate the Croatian population. In July 2008 Patricia Scotland , Attorney General for England and Wales , named Starmer as the new Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He succeeded Ken Macdonald , who publicly welcomed Starmer's appointment, on 1 November 2008. Starmer

12826-419: The vigil for the victims" had "insulted the community as it grieves" and that rioters would feel the full force of the law. On 1 August, and following a meeting with senior police officers, Starmer announced the establishment of a National Violent Disorder Programme to facilitate greater cooperation between police forces when dealing with violent disorder . On 4 August Starmer stated that rioters "will feel

12947-535: The vote in the first round. It is the honour and the privilege of my life to be elected as Leader of the Labour Party. I want to thank Rebecca and Lisa for running such passionate and powerful campaigns and for their friendship and support along the way. I want to thank our Labour Party staff who worked really hard and my own amazing campaign team, full of positivity, with that unifying spirit. I want to pay tribute to Jeremy Corbyn, who led our party through some really difficult times, who energised our movement and who's

13068-661: The vote – the lowest of any party forming a majority government in the post-war era, leading to concerns about the proportionality of the election . In his victory speech Starmer thanked Labour Party workers for their work – including nearly five years of revamping and rebranding Labour in the face of Conservative dominance – and urged them to savour the moment, but warned them of challenges ahead and pledged his government would seek "national renewal": We did it! You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing

13189-1082: The west of Scotland . These records can prove extremely useful for the family historian, and contain detailed notes and information about the applicants, their families and life. Scottish Parliament Opposition (66) Other (1) Charles III William , Duke of Rothesay Swinney government The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP Kate Forbes MSP Sixth session Alison Johnstone MSP Angela Constance MSP Dorothy Bain KC The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections Local elections Referendums Starmer ministry The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic : Pàrlamaid na h-Alba [ˈpʰaːrˠl̪ˠəmɪtʲ nə ˈhal̪ˠapə] ; Scots : Scots Pairlament )

13310-588: The words: Wisdom , Compassion , Justice and Integrity . The words There shall be a Scottish Parliament , which are the first words of the Scotland Act, are inscribed around the head of the mace, which has a ceremonial role in the meetings of Parliament, representing the authority of the Parliament to make laws. Presented to the Scottish Parliament by the Queen upon Parliament's official opening in July 1999,

13431-519: Was a powerful advocate of the rights of everyone in Holborn and St Pancras throughout his highly distinguished parliamentary career. Widely respected and widely regarded, he served the people of Holborn and St Pancras for 36 years. Although I doubt I will clock up 36 years, I intend to follow in Frank Dobson's footsteps—albeit my jokes are likely to seem tame when compared with his, and I might give

13552-516: Was an important part of bringing communities together following the Good Friday Agreement , and Starmer later cited his work on policing in Northern Ireland as being a key influence on his decision to pursue a political career: "Some of the things I thought that needed to change in police services we achieved more quickly than we achieved in strategic litigation... I came better to understand how you can change by being inside and getting

13673-471: Was appointed to Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Home Office Minister in July 2015. He resigned from this role in June 2016 as part of the widespread Shadow Cabinet resignations in protest at Corbyn's leadership following the 2016 EU Referendum result. Following Corbyn's re-election at the September 2016 leadership election , Starmer accepted a new post from Corbyn as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting

13794-449: Was deemed to be bringing a focus on human rights into the legal system. In 2011 he introduced reforms that included the "first test paperless hearing". During his time as DPP Starmer dealt with a number of major cases including the Stephen Lawrence murder case , where he brought his murderers to justice. In February 2010 Starmer announced the CPS's decision to prosecute three Labour MPs and

13915-533: Was established in 1843 to determine system reform. This resulted in the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 being passed. This act established parochial boards in parishes and towns and a central Board of Supervision in Edinburgh. In Scotland the able-bodied poor had no automatic right to poor relief as in England. The Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 created a central Board of Supervision which had the ability to raise local taxes to cover poor relief costs. Unlike in England,

14036-479: Was held on 6 May 1999, and on 1 July of that year power was transferred from Westminster to the new reconvened Parliament. While the permanent building at Holyrood was being constructed, a temporary home for the Parliament was found in Edinburgh. The General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland on the Royal Mile was chosen to host the Parliament. Official photographs and television interviews were held in

14157-533: Was held on Wednesday afternoons. The Presiding Officer (or Deputy Presiding Officer) decides who speaks in chamber debates and the amount of time for which they are allowed to speak. Normally, the Presiding Officer tries to achieve a balance between different viewpoints and political parties when selecting members to speak. Typically, ministers or party leaders open debates, with opening speakers given between 5 and 20 minutes, and succeeding speakers allocated less time. The Presiding Officer can reduce speaking time if

14278-762: Was possible under the special emergency powers which first used 40 years ago under the Ridley Plan , to tackle striking miners in 1984 and 1985. Starmer faced criticism for his response to the riots, including from Elon Musk , the wealthiest person in the world, for not condemning all participants and only blaming the far-right . Musk dubbed Starmer "Two-Tier Keir", asking, "why aren't all communities protected in Britain?". Starmer rejected calls from some MPs, including Reform Party leader Nigel Farage and Conservative Dame Priti Patel , to recall parliament to Westminster . The new Chancellor , Rachel Reeves, accused

14399-487: Was right to position Labour as "the party of anti-austerity ". He indicated he would continue with the Labour policy of scrapping tuition fees as well as pledging "common ownership" of rail, mail, energy and water companies, and called for ending outsourcing in the NHS, local government and the justice system. Starmer was declared the winner of Labour's leadership contest on 4 April 2020, defeating his rivals, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy , with 56.2 per cent of

14520-424: Was the case when asked in 2015. Starmer passed the 11-plus examination and gained entry to Reigate Grammar School , then a voluntary-aided selective grammar school . Reigate GS converted into an independent fee-paying school in 1976, while he was a student. The terms of the conversion were such that his parents were not required to pay for his schooling until he turned 16, and when he reached that point,

14641-498: Was to declare the Rwanda asylum plan as "dead": the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper , would establish a Border Security Command to tackle smuggling gangs which facilitate illegal migrant crossings over the English Channel . Starmer went on a tour of the four nations of the UK , meeting with leaders including John Swinney , Michelle O'Neill , and Vaughan Gething . He also met the twelve regional mayors and announced

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